Dexter smith



1). SMITH.

Cartridge.

Patented Jun 11, 1867.

[Ma/Jar DEXTER SMITH. OF $PRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

' Letters .Iatnt 1%. 65,774, dated June 11, 1867.

IMPROWHEEHT IN PBIMING METALLIG'OAETRIDGES.

fiilge fitinhuie tefrmh to in time inters fiaimtimt making o If its mu.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Be it known that}, DEXTER SMITH, of Springfield, Hampdeu county, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certnin'ncw and useful improvements in Centre-Fire Cartridges, andI do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. In the drawings Figures 1, 2, and 3 are difi'erent "sectional views of my cartridge in the processes of forming my iinprovements, and of the tools used in the operations.

Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, different viewsof the some; and

Figure 10 contains different forms-of one of the parts; and

Figure 9 is a. section of the plain shell. i I

My inrentioncon'sists in a new and improved method of forming centre-lire cartridges.

In my cartridge, the. head of the shell receiving the fulrninate is formed as shown in figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings, in which small flange, a, projects inwards fromthe head, forming a small circle around the centre of the same, and a. cavity within for the reception and containing of the fulminate. This cavity, 2:, inside-of the circle of the flange a, is sunk below the plane of the outside of the flunge,s0 that the metal is thinner at the bottom of the cavity than elsewhere in the head. The headof the shell being" thus formed, slayer of fulmina'te .is placed'inthe chnmher :v, resting upon the bottom of the eanie., Upon this layer of fulu inute isthen placed a small circular dislqO, fitting-thehore of the charnher. The top edge of the flange a is -then crowded around inwardly over the circumference of the disk, and is then flattened down so as to securely and neatly hold the disk and fulminatein place. Different forms of disks maybeused, as will hereafter be explained.

In fig. 1 is' shown a sectional viewlof a cartridge formed in the manner of -myinvent ion, and also of the tool used in so forming it. I This tool consists of a solid piece, A, cylindrical in form, and having in its bottom face a circular cavity, d, corresponding in depth and width with the flange it-is required to form, leaving a centreprojection, K, which projects beyond the face of the piece suiiiciently to give the required thinness to the metal at the bottom of the cavity a. The operation of forming: the flange a and cavity a: is completed at one operation of the die upon the plain head of the cartridge-shell, the soft metcl being easily crowded up into the cavity d, and away from the centre of the head, leaving the some in the shape shownin figs. 1 and 7. After this done, and the fulminate and disk placed in the chamber :7, as already described, is operated upon by the tool shown in fig. 2, which consistsof a cylindrical piece, B, having a conical-shaped cavity, f, which, as the piece B descends, crowds the top edge ofthe flange a in around the disk,iieaving the shell in the forrn shown by fig, 2. The next operation is to flatten the top or the flange down as shown in fig.'8, which is accomplished by the tool shown in that figure, consistingof a cylindrical piece, d, with a plain face which presses down the top of the flahgc a, leaving -the disk neatly andfirmly held in, In fig. 10 of the drawings, several different forms of disks, g, and r, are shown, the one, consisting of a. flat circular steel. piecehaving a hole through the centre for the fire to communicate to the ponder throng h, sndheing countersunk around this hole on the upper or outside surface, leaving the side next the fuhninste flat. The disk 9 is a'concavo-convex copper plate with sho'le in the centre, and which is placed with its concave side next to the fulminate. Thedisk r is a flat disk of steel having no hole in the centre, but having at its edges, small portions cut awsyfrcrn the circumfercnce, which serve the purpose of circle in the cetre, In this manner I form a. sure and well-protected ceutre-. fire in'the head of the cartridge, the operations of {ormingthe some being easily performed, and. the-fnlminate firmly held in place, and consequently more sure of fire. The flange X, around the head of the shell, may also be formed in the some operation of 'the punch that strikes, up the small flange in the inside. In fig. 3 is shown the plain shell as it is before the flange X is'formed upon it. ,As thepiece A descends inside the shell-itspreads the stock around the ou side circumference of the head in the form shon u at a: in fig. l.

,Now, having described my invention, what I clsixn as new, and desire to seourezhy Letters Patent, is-- A centre-fire cartridge in which th'e anvil is attached to the interiorof the head of the cartridge-shell by means of the flange a formed-on the; inside surfaceof the-same, substantially as described.

' DEXTER SMITH.

' Witnesses;

03B. Naw'nna Jenn Jonas. 

